


Twins 1

by jtheroux



Series: Revelation Redone [2]
Category: Baroque (Video Games)
Genre: Implied/Referenced Child Abuse
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-25
Updated: 2018-10-24
Packaged: 2019-08-07 05:53:44
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,334
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16402535
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jtheroux/pseuds/jtheroux
Summary: Mahlah first meets Alexander





	Twins 1

“Brother, we have a new person to play with. I hope when we switch that you’ll enjoy playing with him too.” Adina looked to his right at his twin Mahlah. “I’ll write you a note, that way you’ll know to go see him.”

Adina writes his brother a note in their journal about Alexander. Smiling, he places it in front of him on the chess board and does his best to get comfortable to sleep.

\---

Mahlah wakes up a few minutes after his brother falls asleep. 

“I wonder if there’s any news.” He grabs the journal and opens it to his twin’s note. “Hmm, I see. Sounds like you had fun. Well,” he closes the journal and presses a button on the side of the bed, “I guess I should meet him too. He sounds interesting.”

A nurse knocks on their door. “It’s Geraldine.”

“Come in!”

Geraldine enters. “What is that you need help with, uh,” she looks down at the bedpost before looking Mahlah in the eyes again, “Mahlah?”

“The new kid, I haven’t met him yet and brother has. It sounds like they had some fun together too.”

“Then you’d like me to ask him to come back then?”

“Yes, also I’m hungry, pancakes and sausage sound good.”

“Very well, I’ll call for Alexander and then go get you some breakfast.” She left with a small smile.

Mahlah frowned. “I don’t like her, brother…” He looked at the empty chessboard and placed the pieces in their places.

\---

A knock at the door startles Mahlah from his breakfast. “Come in!”

A blond haired kid enters. He appears to be slightly older than the twins. Mahlah can’t help but to stare at his red eyes

“Oh, you’re awake now. I’ve been expecting this meeting. You’re Mahlah right? Adina told me your names properly.”

Mahlah noticed that he didn’t look at the bedpost. 

“That’s good! He left me a note about you, but didn’t give much info on you, just that you had fun together. I also noticed that the chessboard had been reset.”

“Yes, he taught me the rules. I wasn’t very good!” Alexander smiled and sat on the bed, careful not to sit on either of the boys' legs. “I’m Alexander by the way.” He held his hand out to Mahlah.

Mahlah took it and they shook hands.

“I didn’t mean to interrupt your eating, by the way…”

“It’s fine! We both have odd eating times, it just depends on what we do and when we sleep.”

“Yeah, he said something about that. But I still don’t quite understand.”

“Well, it’s more out of habit than anything. But essentially when one of us sleeps, the other will be awake, well, except for the in-between time when we both sleep. We started it out of the need to conserve energy and to not injure ourselves unnecessarily.”

“I see, I guess that makes sense, but why keep it up? Don’t you miss actually talking to each other?”

“We’ve just gotten used to this is all. Of course we miss actually talking…”

“Then why don’t you try talking to him?”

“I don’t want to wake him though…”

“How about you two figure out a way to get yourselves able to be awake at the same time? I’ll help too.”

“Why do you care?” Mahlah, was cautious, as was Adina before him. Both had given Alexander these same answers to his questions. But they never told the whole truth.

“Because then you could tell the other things that you only want them to know.”

“That’s true, but still, we have a code.”

“A code can easily be broken, which is why you don’t use it anymore right?”

Mahlah considered him. “How’d you know that? Did Adina tell you?”

“No, no!” Alexander waved his hands. “God told me.”

This was a surprise. “God told you?”

“Yes, she did. She also told me something else. The real reason that you both take turns being awake.”

Mahlah stared him down.

“Now no need to look at me like that!” Alexander leaned in and whispered, “you both prefer to keep your guard up. Something happened once while you both slept and it’s changed you both. One of you always has to be watching right?”

Alexander lent back. He was completely serious.

Mahlah gulped. “Did Adina tell you? No,” he shook his head, “he wouldn’t do that… You,” Mahlah looked at the other boy closely, “you are no ordinary person are you?”

“That’s right, but neither are the two of you. Which is why I want to talk to the both of you, together. There’s something important that I need to give the two of you, but some other things have to happen first.”

“One of which is us being awake at the same time.”

“Bingo.”

Mahlah thought for a moment. “Then tell me, what do you see with your eyes?”

Alexander looked surprised at that. Then chuckled, “the truth of things.” He stood up, “well, I should let you finish eating, I’ll come back later too, before I go to bed.”

“Can you tell us about what’s going on outside? No-one will tell us…”

“Of course, but not now. I brought Adina a book earlier to read, would you like one as well?”

Mahlah lit up at this. Both he and his brother had already read what the nurses would bring them. They were only allowed certain texts according to their tutor. So anything outside of those was a godsend. “Yes please! If you would, and something that our tutor wouldn’t give us would be great.”

“Alright, and I’ll get you something different from your brother’s, later then.” Alexander took his leave before Mahlah could talk to him more.  
Mahlah frowned and finished his meal before calling the nurse in again to clear it.

Geraldine entered again. “Well, I hope you two had a nice chat.” She said taking away the empty tray.

“Is Miss Joanne back from her study trip yet?”

“No,” Geraldine didn’t look at him, “she hasn’t returned yet. I don’t think she will come back here. Honestly, why would she?” She left, not allowing him to respond. Mahlah looked at his brother and watched him sleep peacefully. Then he took their journal and wrote him a short message. They would do what they could to get out of their room and amongst society. The first step would be for them to be able to use a wheelchair. And for that, they needed Miss Joanne.

\---

“I’m back, and with a book.” Alexander came into the twins room.

Mahlah looked up from his journal. “What book did you bring me?” His face was lit up with curiosity and excitement.

“‘The Brothers Karamazov.’”

“Never heard of it.”

“Well it is a really old book. It’s from the early 2000’s.” Alexander placed the hefty tome on the small table over the bed.

Mahlah just stared at it in shock. Such an old book was incredibly rare to find in a physical format. He carefully picked it up. It seemed to be in good shape. Opening it he found the grammar to be highly complex. The age of it didn’t help either. “This is going to take awhile to get used to. I’ve never read anything this old before.”

“And that’s why I got it. Also because it’s a well known philosophical novel.”

“Well that’s definitely something that they don’t let us read.”

Alexander yawned. “I wonder why that is? Is it because of the churches? Or is it something else…” He turned and walked back to the door before stretching. Cracking sounds came from his back as his arms moved to their extent. “Well, it’s late, and you have your book now,” he glanced over his shoulder at Mahlah, “I’m heading off to bed. You have a good read and rest Mahlah, and I’ll be back tomorrow.” He opened the door.

“Goodnight Alexander, and thanks again for the book.”

Alexander nodded his head in acknowledgment before closing the door behind him.


End file.
